Plain and Simple
by Sailor Grape
Summary: Something as ordinary as a scavenger hunt forces Serena and Darien to examine their feelings for one another.
1. Plain and Simple

Note: This is the second fic I wrote, and my first attempt at any type of romance. Some of it may seem a bit over-dramatized. But hey, I still like it! And I hope you enjoy it also.  
  
  
  


Plain and Simple:  
part 1  


  
  
  
Serena ran past the people on the sidewalk, shouting apologies over her  
shoulder when she bumped into them. She abruptly stopped in front of the  
bakery. She pressed her hands against the window, her mouth watering at the  
dozens of cookies and pastries on display.  
  
'Not today, Serena,' she scolded herself. 'You're already late meeting  
everyone.' She grudgingly took off running again.  
  
She was out of breath by the time she reached the temple. "Hi.. guys..."  
she wheezed, "what's... up?"  
  
"You're late again, Serena," Mina pointed out.  
  
"Yeah; you'd better start getting here on time," Raye warned.  
  
"Aww, come on," Serena whined. "I'm not that late." Then she smiled  
gleefully. "I would have been even more late if i had any money to buy some  
cookies!"  
  
Everyone groaned.  
  
"Let's go or we'll miss the movie," Lita broke in.  
  
"We'll have to hurry as it is," Amy said.  
  
"We'll make it!" Serena told them confidently.  
  
  
"See, I told you we'd make it," Serena said smugly as the girls sat down  
in the theater.  
  
"We would have gotten better seats if you didn't always have to pork  
out!" Raye insulted Serena, gesturing to her pile of snacks.  
  
"You're one to talk!" Mina scoffed at Raye. "I feel sorry for that fudge  
sundae you devoured last week!"  
  
Raye's cheeks flushed. "I hadn't eaten anything all day!" she protested.  
"Sure, Raye," Serena rolled her eyes.  
  
"Sometimes you can be so-" Raye was cute off by the dimming lights and  
the start of the movie.  
  
As the lead actor popped up on the screen, Serena loudly squealed, "Ooh,  
he's so cute!"  
  
"Shhhhhh!" said a voice from in front of them.  
  
Serena craned her neck to get a glimpse of the person who told her to be  
quiet. As the movie screen darkened, a shadow was thrown over the crowd.  
  
"Shoot," she muttered. When the movie grew brighter, she quickly leaned  
forward in her seat and stared at the person, trying to make out any facial  
features. "Who is that?" she asked aloud.  
  
"Hey, be quiet!" the person turned around to glare at Serena.  
  
"Darien!" she gasped, staring back at him. "I should've known."  
  
He shot her a dirty look. "Keep it down," he hissed, turning back around.  
  
"Serena, just watch the movie," Raye whispered to her, annoyed.  
  
Serena slumped back in her seat, sulking. 'He's always so mean to me,'  
she thought. 'Well, he won't get away with it this time!' She grabbed a  
handful of her popcorn and launched it at Darien, watching in delight as it  
bounced off his head.  
  
Darien shot around in his seat. "Stop throwing popcorn at me!" he said  
angrily to Serena.  
  
"Stop being a jerk and maybe I will," she retorted.  
  
"Immature," he muttered before turning back to the movie.  
  
"Immature, huh?" Serena chunked another handful of popcorn at him.  
  
"Ok, that's it!" Darien threw some of his gummy bears at her.  
  
The two waged an all-out food fight, gaining shouts of surprise and  
annoyance from the rest of the people in the theater.  
  
"Hey, hey! Stop right now!" the usher came running up, screaming. "You,  
and you," he pointed at Serena, then at Darien. "You're out of here!"  
  
Serena glared at Darien, then walked out of the theater. He followed.  
  
She stood outside, shivering in the chilly night air. 'Ooh, he makes me  
so mad!' she thought.  
  
"Why did you start throwing popcorn at me?" Darien asked, coming up  
behind her.  
  
"You totally deserved it for being a jerk!" she screeched, turning away  
from him.  
  
After a moment he said, "It's getting late."  
  
"Well, since the movie is out of the question, I should just go home."  
She glared at Darien.  
  
"I'll walk with you," Darien offered.  
  
"I don't need a chaperone," Serena answered icily.  
  
"I know that, but it would make me feel so much better if I knew you got  
home safely."  
  
Serena stared at him in surprise, concern for her etched in his face.  
"Well, ok," she complied.  
  
They started walking down the deserted sidewalk.  
  
The temperature dropped and the wind picked up. Serena shivered.  
  
"Are you cold?" Darien asked her, stopping.  
  
"N-no, I'm fine," she managed to get out through chattering teeth.  
  
"Yes, you are!" Darien took off his jacket and offered it to Serena, who  
gratefully accepted the warm garment and slipped it on.  
  
Darien watched in amusement as she tried to push up the sleeves to  
uncover her small hands.  
  
They continued walking in silence, finally reaching Serena's house.  
  
"Well, this is me," she said. She slipped the jacket off and handed it  
to Darien, who put it back on. "Thanks for walking with me," she muttered.  
"But I'm still mad at you for making me miss the movie-"  
  
Darien wrapped his arms around Serena in a hug, shocking her into  
silence. He gently lifted her chin so she'd meet his gaze. "This was better  
than the movie." He kissed her on the cheek and walked away, leaving a dazed  
Serena on the porch staring after him.  
  
  
'Way to go, man,' Darien thought to himself. 'You make the girl angry  
and then do something stupid like kiss her. She looked positively shocked!  
Now she must know how I feel about her. God, I blew it before I even got an  
actual chance!' Darien walked dejectedly to his apartment.  
  
  
'Did he just kiss me?' Serena asked herself. 'Hmm, maybe it was a  
diversion!' She ran her hands through her pigtails and over her back,  
searching for a "kick me" sign or other debris. Finding nothing, she tried  
to rationalize the kiss. 'He must be crazy. Yup, that must be it! Oh  
wait...'  
  
"I don't know!" she wailed aloud, frustrated.  
  
Still contemplating, she entered her house and slammed the door behind  
her.  
  
Walking into her room, her gaze landed on a certain cat sleeping on a  
pile of old magazines and wrinkled garments. 'You're so lucky you're a cat,  
Luna,' she thought sourly. As she changed into her pajamas, she promised to  
not think about this whole Darien situation. 'Everything will be better in  
the morning,' she mused as she climbed into her bed. Curling up with her  
stuffed bunny, she soon fell asleep.  
  
  
"So, how's it going, Darien?" Andrew asked his best friend the next  
morning at the Crown arcade.  
  
"Been better," Darien muttered, resting his chin on his hands and  
staring off into space.  
  
After a pause Andrew asked, "Is it Serena?"  
  
Darien looked up sharply at his friend. "Why would you bring her up?"  
  
Andrew's eyes widened in surprise. "I'm just wondering what's up with  
you. I figure with the way you're acting, you must be having girl troubles."  
  
"There are thousands of girls besides Meatballhead!" Darien spoke  
vehemently. "She's no more special than them-"  
  
He heard a gasp from behind. Words caught in his throat as he slowly  
slid around on his stool and caught sight of Serena, who had tears streaming  
down her cheeks. She spun on her heel and dashed out of the arcade.  
  
"Serena, wait!" Darien called to her, jumping up. As he watched her run  
out, he felt his heart rip in two.  
  
Andrew smacked him on the arm.  
  
"Ow! What was that for?" Darien asked angrily, rubbing his throbbing  
arm.  
  
"You're always so mean to that girl. This time you really blew it."  
Andrew walked off.  
  
'Andrew's right,' Darien realized sadly. 'Serena was crushed... Well,  
I'll just have to make it up to her!' He marched out of the arcade.  
  
  
"That jerk!" Mina exclaimed.  
  
"I can't believe he said that, especially with you right there!" Lita  
seethed, curling her hands into fists.  
  
"He didn't know she was there," Amy pointed out sensibly.  
  
"It doesn't take a genius to figure out that the chance of Serena  
showing up there was pretty big," Raye said.  
  
"Why do you even care what he thinks?" Lita asked Serena impatiently.  
"It's not like you're dating the guy. Ouch!" she yelled in pain as Mina  
elbowed her in the ribs.  
  
'Shut up,' she mouthed to Lita. To Serena she replied, "Do you like  
him? Is that why this upsets you so much?"  
  
Serena's eyes widened. "Of course I don't like him!" she exploded.  
"He's such an obnoxious creep!" she shot out hotly.  
  
The gang exchanged glances as Serena buried her face in her hands.  
  
"I'll never let him come near me, let alone touch me, again," she moaned  
through the cracks of her fingers.  
  
"What do you mean?" Mina asked.  
  
"He kissed me last night," Serena explained.  
  
Everyone gasped.  
  
"It was nothing!" Serena cried defensively. "He walked me home after we  
got kicked out of the movie, and somewhere in the midst of my whining he  
just... kissed me. On the cheek," she added quickly. She stared down at the  
floor.  
  
Lita shot Mina a questioning glance, but Mina only grinned mischievously  
back, motioning towards the door.  
  
"Well, um, Serena, we kind of have to go now," Lita said slowly,  
catching on to Mina's gestures. "Don't we, guys?" She looked pointedly at  
Raye and Amy with a look that said, 'I'll tell you later.'  
  
"Oh, yeah, we have to go," Amy complied, sounding somewhat unsure.  
  
"Right, we have some... things to do," Raye finished.  
  
The girls hopped up and were ushered out of Serena's room by Mina,  
calling goodbyes over their shoulders.  
  
'Great,' Serena thought miserably. 'My problems drove them away. Now  
what do I do?'  
  
  
"All right, Mina, what's going on?" Lita asked her.  
  
The girls were sitting in the arcade ten minutes later after their hasty  
departure from Serena's.  
  
"Yeah, why did you want to leave?" Raye wanted to know.  
  
"Did anyone else notice Serena's reaction to Darien insulting her?" Mina  
questioned her friends.  
  
"Of course we did!" Raye rolled her eyes impatiently. "She whined and  
got upset like she always does!"  
  
"You don't get it," Mina sighed. "Darien teases her all the time, and  
she retaliates. But this time I think she really got upset."  
  
"Why would she be upset?" Amy asked.  
  
"Ohhh... I get it," Lita spoke slowly.  
  
"Right; Serena likes the guy, plain and simple," Mina replied.  
  
"Plain and simple," Lita echoed, grinning.  
  
"What's plain and simple?" Andrew asked, walking up to the girls.  
  
They all clammed up.  
  
"Um, nothing," Amy stammered.  
  
Andrew studied their expressions for a moment. "Were you discussing a  
certain blonde-haired friend who is absent from your group today?"  
  
"No!" Lita replied a little to quickly.  
  
"Aha, caught you!" Andrew exclaimed gleefully. "Now what's going on?"  
"Can we trust you?" Mina asked.  
  
"Always!"  
  
"Ok," Mina started, "Serena was upset this morning."  
  
"Because of Darien," Andrew sighed.  
  
"Well, Serena ran home crying-"  
  
"And we figured something was up!" Lita interrupted.  
  
Mina glared at her. "I'm telling the story!" She turned back to Andrew  
and continued. "Anyway, before I was so rudely interrupted, I was going to  
say that crying isn't Serena's ordinary reaction. At least not to Darien  
insulting her. So we kind of put two and two together and think that maybe-"  
  
"Serena likes Darien!" Lita squealed.  
  
"Lita!" Mina screamed at her.  
  
"What?" Lita shrugged. "You were taking too long."  
  
"Before you start arguing again, can I say something?" Andrew spoke up.  
  
"Better say it fast," Amy joked.  
  
"When Darien realized that Serena heard him, he looked like he could  
have died right there on the spot," Andrew told the girls. "I think he likes  
her too."  
  
"And neither of them have realized this yet?" Raye snorted.  
  
"It's not like their actions toward would suggest an attraction to each  
other," Amy pointed out.  
  
"So what do we do with this new information?" Lita asked.  
  
"Come up with a brilliant plan to fix this," Mina said.  
  
"Count me in!" Andrew grinned.  
  
  
Serena trudged miserably down the street on her way to the park. She  
thought the beautiful day might help cheer her up.  
  
It didn't.  
  
She turned the corner and smashed into someone. "Oh, I'm so sorry!" she  
cried. "I didn't see anyone there-"  
  
"Maybe that's because you weren't looking," a familiar voice said.  
  
Serena froze, then slowly looked up to see Darien smiling down at her.  
  
"How ya doing, Meatballhead?" he asked.  
  
"Ohhh," she groaned, turning away. She started walking away from him.  
  
Darien panicked. "Wait!" He grabbed her arm.  
  
Serena whirled around to face him, nervousness in her eyes.  
  
He quickly let go of her arm. "Um, Serena... Well, I... I just..."  
  
"What do you want, Darien?"  
  
"I'm sorry!" Darien blurted, thrusting a bouquet of crimson roses into a  
startled Serena's arms. "I'm sorry I almost knocked you down, I'm sorry for  
what I said this morning." He gulped. "And I'm sorry for last night."  
  
'Even though it was the best night of my life,' he added to himself.  
  
Once the initial shock wore off, Serena found her voice again. "It's  
ok," she answered softly, her eyes lingering on the bouquet in her arms.  
'Roses, my favorite.' She absently plucked one from the others and inhaled  
its intoxicating perfume.  
  
Darien noticed her reluctance to look at him. 'Please look at me,' he  
pleaded silently to her. He searched her face. 'I need to see those beautiful  
blue eyes of hers, even if only for a second.'  
  
Serena finally tore her gaze from the flower clutched in her hand. "I  
have to go." She hurried down the sidewalk.  
  
"Wait! Where are you going?"  
  
She paused, rapidly wracking her brain and blurting out the first place  
that came into mind. "To the, um.... The library!"  
  
'Library? I didn't think she even knew where it was!' Darien smiled.  
"Me, too!" he lied. "I'll walk with you."  
  
"Did I say library? I meant cafe," Serena stuttered.  
  
"Well, I could go for some coffee..."  
  
"No!" Serena shouted quickly. She blushed, then added, "No, I don't  
want to interrupt your plans."  
  
"Don't worry; you're not-"  
  
"No, really! I'm sure you have better things to do." She rushed away  
from him, almost sprinting.  
  
  
Darien watched in silence as Serena flew around a building corner, her  
pigtails bouncing with her swift departure. 'She couldn't get away from me  
fast enough. Maybe I'm fighting a losing battle. No! I refuse to give up!  
I'll get her to like me if it takes every ounce of energy I have.'  
Determined, Darien strolled off to the arcade.  
  
  
"Ok, there he is," Andrew whispered to Raye and Lita. "Amy and Mina are  
working on their part. Now it's your turn."  
  
"Right, Chief," Lita saluted him.  
  
They left the arcade just as Darien was entering, bumping into him.  
  
"Hey Darien," Lita greeted him.  
  
"Darien, you're just the man we were looking for," Raye chirped.  
  
He looked at them uncertainly. "I am? Why?"  
  
"We want you to join us on a scavenger hunt," Lita answered.  
  
"Scavenger hunt?" Darien chuckled. "Aren't we a bit mature for one of  
those?"  
  
"Go tell that to your best friend," Raye countered.  
  
He stopped laughing. "You mean Andrew?"  
  
"Yeah; it was his idea. Sounds fun, too. He'll be conducting the project  
and everyone else will be competing on teams. Everyone will be there. Us,  
Ames, Mina, Ken, Greg, Serena...."  
  
Darien's eyes lit up at the mention of Serena's name. "Well, I guess it  
couldn't hurt," he replied, trying to sound nonchalant.  
  
"Great!" Lita exclaimed. "We'd better be going. See you later!"  
  
The two girls walked off, giggling to themselves.  
  
Shaking his head, Darien went over to Andrew. "What's this I hear about  
a scavenger hunt?" he asked.  
  
"Oh, so you heard already," Andrew smiled.  
  
"Yeah, Lita and Raye just weaseled me into joining them."  
  
Andrew laughed. "Those two do have a way of being convincing, don't  
they?"  
  
"That they do," Darien agreed, glancing back at the door.  
  
  
"Serena!" Mina called, waving to her.  
  
She and Amy waltzed up to Serena, who was sitting on a bench in the park.  
They plopped down beside her.  
  
"Hey, guys," Serena replied unemotionally. She was twirling another rose  
between her fingers, while the bouquet rested in her lap.  
  
"Where did you get the flowers, Serena?" Amy inquired.  
  
"Oh. Um, nowhere," was the answer.  
  
Amy glanced wonderingly at Mina, then continued. "We have been invited  
to be in a scavenger hunt tomorrow."  
  
Serena wrinkled her nose. "You mean one of those things where you have  
to find stuff using clues?"  
"That's it!" Mind clapped her hands together gleefully. "Come on; it'll  
be a blast! Andrew's in charge of the whole shindig, and everyone else will  
be on teams of two. It'll be us, Greg, Ken, and Darien."  
  
"Darien?" Serena sat up. "Darien will be there too?"  
  
"Andrew wouldn't leave out his best friend," Amy explained.  
  
Serena bit her lip. 'Well, I'll only have to face him for a minute  
before everyone goes off searching,' she rationalized.  
  
"Ok, count me in," she told her friends.  
  
Amy and Mina shared a secret grin.  
  
  
"Whose idea was it to meet at eight in the morning?" Serena grumbled the  
next day on her way to the arcade, where everyone was meeting. Dragging her  
feet, she slowly opened the door and peeked in. 'Last to arrive, as usual,'  
she thought sarcastically. Pushing the door open, she stepped inside.  
  
"Hey Serena," Andrew greeted her. "Have a seat."  
  
Serena gave him a tiny smile and looked over at the cluster of chairs  
pushed together. She gaped in horror as she noticed the only available seat  
happened to be right next to Darien. She sunk into it, moving over on the  
chair as far away from Darien as she could manage without flying off.  
  
"Late again, Meatball Head," Darien smirked at her.  
  
Serena pointedly ignored his comment.  
  
"All right, lets get started," Andrew announced. "I apologize for making  
everyone get up so early on a Saturday." He glanced toward Serena and smiled  
at her.  
  
Her eyes instantly lit up and she smiled back.  
  
Darien noticed her reaction and scowled. 'She never reacts that way to  
my smiles,' he thought bitterly. 'Wait, just calm down. You'll think of  
something eventually.' He took a deep breath and turn his attention back to  
Andrew.  
  
"Each group will have the same set of clues," Andrew was saying. "The  
clues will lead you to a specific spot, where you will pick up an item and  
your next clue. Once you have all the items, a final clue will lead you to  
the destination where you will claim your prize."  
  
"What's the prize?" Mina wanted to know.  
  
Andrew laughed. "You'll have to wait and see. Ok now, pair off into  
groups."  
  
Serena turned behind her to snag one of her friends.  
  
Ken was talking to Lita, Amy and Greg were whispering to each other, and  
Mina and Raye were giggling about something.  
  
"Guess it's you and me, Meatball Head."  
  
Serena froze. 'No, this can't be.' She closed her eyes. 'When I open my  
eyes he'll be gone, and I'll be paired up with one of my friends.' She  
opened one eye a crack.  
  
No such luck.  
  
Serena groaned.  
  
Darien frowned. 'This isn't her ideal situation, but it's a dream come  
true for me! I get to spend the entire day with my meatball-haired goddess.'  
Darien's mouth opened. 'When did she become mine?'  
  
"Earth to Darien!"  
  
He snapped out of his daze and noticed Serena waving an envelope in front  
of him. He reached for it, but she snatched it back.  
  
Ripping it open, she pulled out a pale yellow card and read the clue  
aloud.  
  
"Through the trees the glittering water reflects a place of peaceful  
shelter."  
  
Darien raised an eyebrow. "Could that be any more cryptic?"  
  
"A place where you can see water through the trees," Serena murmured.  
Her eyes widened. "I've got it!" she exclaimed.  
  
Lita and Amy glanced over at her.  
  
Serena lowered her voice and leaned towards Darien. "The park."  
  
"What about the park?" Darien asked.  
  
She rolled her eyes impatiently. "That's the answer to the first clue!  
The lake is right next to the park."  
  
Darien stared at her in amazement and admiration. "Makes sense. Let's  
go!"  
  
They took off out the door.  
  
Serena paused in the doorway and gazed back at the other groups. 'It's  
weird that no one has figured this out yet...' she thought. After one last  
glance behind her, she followed Darien out of the arcade.  
  
  
"Everything is going as planned so far," Lita said happily once Serena  
and Darien left.  
  
"Let's just hope they're as predictable as we think they are," Amy  
answered thoughtfully.  
  
"Don't worry; everything will work out," Mina reassured them.  
  
"I'm sure you're right," Andrew responded. 'I just hope Darien doesn't  
do anything to screw up,' he thought nervously.  
  
  
"This is hopeless!" Serena complained as she plopped down on the grass in  
the shade of a cherry blossom tree. "We've been looking for twenty minutes  
and found nothing!"  
  
Darien sat down next to her. "We'll find it," he told her confidently.  
He added, "There's no need to give up this early, Meatballhead."  
  
Serena's eyes blazed with anger. "Don't call me that!" she screamed,  
jumping up and stalking off.  
  
Darien mentally slapped himself for making yet another idiotic remark.  
He quickly followed.  
  
She was in the gazebo, leaning against the wooden railing and staring out  
at the trees.  
  
Darien stopped abruptly, mesmerized be her beauty. Her profile was  
surrounded by bright sunlight that reflected off of her long golden hair.  
Her eyes sparkled a deep blue the color of a summer sky. She furrowed her  
eyebrows and stuck her tongue out of the corner of her mouth in concentration.  
  
'She's so perfect,' Darien thought, still watching her. 'I love  
everything about her. I love her,' he realized.  
  
Darien's first instinct was to run, as he had never felt such raw emotion  
before. Swallowing his fear, he dragged himself into the gazebo.  
  
Serena noticed him hesitate before he took a spot next her. 'I hate my  
life,' she thought miserably. 'Stuck here with Darien all day. Of all  
people, I get stuck with him! He's so rude, conceited, annoying, handsome,  
arrogant...' Her eyes widened in surprise. 'Wait a minute... Did I just  
say... HANDSOME?!? How did that get in there?'  
  
She glanced over at Darien, who was intently studying something carved  
into the wooden rail. His piercing blue eyes showed curiosity as he ran his  
hand over the many carved pictures. As he bent his head down, a few tufts of  
ebony hair fell over his eyes. 'I guess he is somewhat handsome,' she  
reluctantly admitted.  
  
Serena reached her hand out to brush the hair from his eyes when he  
looked up at her. She quickly threw her other arm up and pretended to  
stretch.  
  
Darien quizzically cocked an eyebrow at her, then turned his attention to  
some people feeding a group of squirrels.  
  
Serena heaved a huge sigh of relief. 'That was too close.' She sank down  
onto the bench and stared at the ground.  
  
Something was poking out from underneath the bench. She reached for it  
and pulled out a box labeled "Clue #2."  
  
"Yes!" she shouted excitedly, startling Darien.  
  
"What is it?" he asked quickly.  
  
She held up the box. "The next clue!"  
  
"It was here all this time?" he asked incredulously.  
  
Serena opened the box. Inside was a set of envelopes and a handful of  
silver rings etched with crescent moons. She picked up one of each and  
shoved the box back underneath the bench. She slipped the tiny ring on.  
  
Darien's gaze memorized her every move. He looked back at her in  
surprise as she shyly held the envelope out to him.  
  
He reached out and took it from her, their fingers brushing up against  
each other. An almost electric current flowed through both of them.  
  
Darien stared at their fingers still fused together. He fought the urge  
to grab her hand and pull her into his arms. His brain screamed to pull  
away, but his fingers wouldn't comply.  
  
Serena's breathing grew rapid. She tried to pull her fingers away but  
couldn't. Looking up sharply, she met Darien's gaze.  
  
Darien's breaths grew shallow as his eyes bore into Serena's. He slowly  
lowered his face to hers.  
  
Serena watched as the inches between them disappeared. She closed her  
eyes. "No, don't!" voices screamed in her head. As much as Serena hated to  
admit it, the voices had the right idea. She moved her head back and pulled  
her hand away from his.  
  
Their electric chain broke.  
  
"We should get started on that next clue," Serena told Darien with false  
cheerfulness.  
  
"Um... yeah," Darien answered groggily, now standing five feet away. He  
ripped open the envelope and read the next clue.  
  
"Your good luck and fortune lie in the most obvious place."  
  
"How could good luck and fortune be lying somewhere?" Serena wanted to  
know. "That makes no sense."  
  
"Wait; it makes perfect sense!" Darien answered her. "What do you get  
for good luck?"  
  
"Potions, trinkets, charms... Hey, that's it!"  
  
"The charm shop!" they said together. They both laughed.  
  
"Let's get going," Darien suggested.  
  
"At this rate we might win!" Serena replied happily as they headed to the  
charm shop.  
  
  
"How far do you think they are now?" Mina inquired.  
  
"Knowing Serena, not very!" Raye snickered.  
  
"Come on, she's probably solving these clues left and right!" Lita  
exclaimed. "You know how determined she gets when there are prizes involved."  
  
"Lita's right," Amy agreed. "Serena is probably having a blast solving  
the clues and picking up the trinkets."  
  
The girls were startled when the arcade door flew open and Andrew  
stumbled in.  
  
"I've never run so fast in my life!" he panted as he fell into a chair  
next to the group.  
  
"So where were they?" Lita prompted.  
  
"On their way to the charm shop."  
  
"They solved the second clue? I'm impressed!" Raye said with mock  
surprise.  
  
"At least Darien hasn't screwed everything up. When I saw them Serena  
was smiling and laughing," Andrew relayed.  
  
"Were there any visible bruises on Darien?" Ken asked jokingly.  
  
Everyone laughed.  
  
"Nope, not yet," Andrew chuckled.  
  
"Don't you think they might figure out what's going on when they pick up  
the next trinket?" Greg asked nervously.  
  
They looked at each other.  
  
"Nah!" they said in unison, then started laughing again.  
  
  
  



	2. Plain and Simple

Plain and Simple:  
part 2  
  


  
"There are so many cute things to buy here!" Serena exclaimed, her face  
pressing against the glass display case.  
  
"Yeah, well they're of no importance at this second," Darien reminded  
her. "We're supposed to be looking for the third clue, remember?"  
  
"Ok, ok, I'll start looking!" Serena huffed, annoyed. She continued  
peering into the display case.  
  
Something caught her eye on the bottom shelf....  
  
She bent down to get a better look and sharply drew in her breath. She  
had found their next clue!  
  
"Darien, get over here!"  
  
"Serena, you're supposed to be looking for our clue," Darien replied,  
exasperated. He walked over to her. "I don't care what's in the display  
case."  
  
Serena's cheeks colored in anger. She turned her nose up. "Fine, if you  
don't want our next clue then I'll just read it by myself..."  
  
"Hold on!" Darien interrupted her. "You know where our next clue is?"  
  
She pointed to the bottom shelf, trying to look bored.  
  
Darien knelt down beside her and searched the display case. Sure enough,  
there was a box labeled "Clue #3."  
  
"Wow, we're making great time!" he exclaimed.  
  
Serena didn't answer.  
  
He glanced over at her. "Serena?"  
  
She turned her head away from him.  
  
"Please talk to me, Serena," he pleaded with her.  
  
Still no answer.  
  
"After we get this clue, I'll buy you an ice cream..."  
  
Serena perked up at the sound of food. She slowly turned around to face  
him. "Anything I want?"  
  
"Anything you want," Darien answered, tugging gently on one of her  
pigtails.  
  
The playful gesture made Serena erupt into giggles. "You're on!"  
  
Once they got the box from the salesperson, Serena eagerly threw off the  
top and peered inside.  
  
"Oh, how cute!" Serena reached inside the box and gingerly picked up a  
tiny figurine of a snow-colored bunny holding a deep red rose. She inspected  
every inch of it, instantly growing attached.  
  
Darien, gently pried it out of her fingers and gazed thoughtfully at it.  
'Hmm, is there supposed to be some kind of significance in this?" he  
wondered. He glanced at Serena out of the corner of his eye. 'Apparently  
she didn't notice anything.'  
  
She did, however, notice their next clue. She carefully opened the  
envelope and pulled out the yellow card.  
  
"You have to navigate your way to the middle of a sapphire." She threw  
her hands up in defeat. "Ok, I'm stumped."  
  
Darien searched his brain for any ideas, but none came. "I don't know."  
  
Can we go get ice cream now? I'm hungry," Serena whined, tugging on  
Darien's arm.  
  
"Sure," Darien told her, smiling at her childlike actions. He placed the  
figurine in his jacket pocket and was led out of the charm shop by Serena's  
insistent grip on his sleeve.  
  
  
"They're probably still at the charm shop," Raye laughed.  
  
"Why, is the clue that hard to find?" Mina asked her.  
  
"No, but the clue itself is a little too deep for both of them."  
  
"What did it say?" Amy asked nervously.  
  
"Nothing they both can't handle," Andrew reassured everyone. 'At least I  
hope so.'  
  
"Just give them some time," Greg put in.  
  
"Let's just be happy they made it this far," Ken added. "It's not like  
those two have the best track records around each other."  
  
"That's an understatement," Lita muttered. She impatiently twirled a  
piece of hair around her finger. 'Something had better start happening  
before I make it happen.'  
  
  
"I'll have a triple hot fudge sundae with extra whipped cream and  
cherries," Serena anxiously told the waitress.  
  
She and Darien were standing in the ice cream shop. As promised, Darien  
allowed Serena to choose her perfect dessert, which was almost as expensive  
as buying a small foreign country.  
  
"I'll just have a scoop of vanilla," Darien absently told the woman  
behind the counter.  
  
After receiving their ice cream, they moved to a tiny corner booth at the  
back of the shop.  
  
A spoonful of Darien's ice cream hovered at his lips while he watched  
Serena, fascinated at the skill in which she ravished her sundae.  
  
"So what about that clue?" Serena tried to ask with a mouthful of whipped  
cream.  
  
Darien hid a smile behind his hand. She was so cute without even trying!  
"What was that?" he asked with as much seriousness as he could muster.  
  
She swallowed the whipped cream. "I asked about the clue," she repeated  
impatiently. "Do you have any ideas?"  
  
"Nope, none," he relayed.  
  
"What help are you then?" she muttered under her breath, but not as  
quietly as she had intended.  
  
Darien's sharp intake of breath drew her eyes to his face. His beautiful  
mouth and piercing blue eyes. She always saw them first. Now he wore a  
heart-shattering frown, and his eyes were bottomless pools of hurt.  
  
She quickly grabbed his hand and held it in hers. "Darien," she began.  
He yanked his hand away, but she reached out and held onto it tightly this  
time. "Darien... Darien, please look at me."  
  
His head turned away, not meeting her gaze.  
  
She let go of his hand and placed hers on either side of his face,  
forcing him to look at her. His pained expression stung her, but she  
couldn't figure out why he cared what she thought. "Darien, I'm sorry I said  
that. I was just a little upset. I didn't mean it."  
  
He smiled sadly and pulled her hands away. "Yes, you did mean it,  
Serena," he told her. "I'm sorry too. I know spending the day with the  
person you dislike most in the world has to be torture for you." Those last  
words hung bitterly in the air.  
  
"I don't feel that way at all!" she protested, surprised at her own words.  
  
She wasn't the only one.  
  
Darien stared back at her, his mouth hanging open.  
  
"What I mean is... It's just that..." Serena stuttered. "What I'm  
trying to say is..." she lowered her eyes. "I had fun today," she told him  
quietly.  
  
'He probably hates me,' she thought sadly, staring at her melting sundae.  
'I wouldn't blame him if he left right now and didn't look back. God, I  
hope he doesn't do that.'  
  
Darien silently studied her reaction to her words. She looked downright  
nervous! 'It's far from what I wanted her to say, but I'll take what I can  
get for now.'  
  
He placed a hand on hers. "I had fun too."  
  
She met his gaze. Their eyes locked. "Really?" she asked hopefully.  
  
"Uh huh."  
  
Serena gave him a tiny smile, a sigh of relief escaping her lips. 'Now  
that that's taken care of, I can finish my ice cream.' She picked up her  
spoon and went to scoop up some ice cream, only to find a bowl of melted  
slush.  
  
"Oh no!" she wailed, stirring the melted ice cream with her spoon. "My  
sundae melted!" She looked ready to cry.  
  
"Here, have mine," Darien offered, pushing his bowl of half-eaten ice  
cream across the table to her.  
  
She smiled gratefully, then turned to devour the ice cream.  
  
Darien watched in amusement as Serena polished off the last drop of the  
melted treat.  
  
Sighing contentedly, she leaned her head back and closed her eyes.  
  
After a moment Darien said, "We still need to figure out the next clue."  
  
Serena's head snapped back and her eyes met Darien's. 'I never noticed  
the lighter flecks of blue swimming in the dark pools,' she thought, studying  
his eyes. 'Dark pools...'  
  
Her mouth widened into a smile. "That's it!"  
  
"What's it?" Darien asked, confused.  
  
Serena's eyes gleamed with excitement. "The clue! You know, the middle  
of a sapphire!" She was gesturing frantically with her hands. "I think I  
know what it is, but I'm not sure. I mean, it could be right, but-"  
  
"Just tell me!" Darien interrupted her babbling, grabbing her hands and  
forcing them to stop moving.  
  
She caught her breath, then blurted out, "Water! It has to be something  
with water!"  
  
"Of course," Darien almost smacked himself for not thinking of that  
sooner. "But what about water?"  
  
"A boat! Remember? You have to navigate your way to the middle of a  
sapphire," she recited. "It must be the lake!" Serena beamed, obviously  
proud of figuring out the clue.  
  
Darien shared her enthusiasm. He jumped up out of the booth and picked  
Serena up, twirling her around.  
  
They both laughed; Serena at the euphoric feeling of almost feeling,  
Darien at the sheer amazement of holding Serena in his arms. When he finally  
set her down, the laughter subsided.  
  
She blushed furiously and looked down at the floor.  
  
Darien took a step back. "Serena, I'm sorry," he apologized. "I was  
just caught up in the moment. Solving the clue was just so great..."  
  
"Darien," Serena began.  
  
"It's just that it was so unexpected, and... and... and maybe it was the  
sugar too, I don't know-"  
  
"Darien, just shut up already!" Serena interrupted him.  
  
He was so stunned by the outburst he had to comply.  
  
"Darien, it's ok," she said finally.  
  
He just looked at her dumbly.  
  
"I was caught up in the moment too," she told him, smiling shyly. Her  
eyes glittered with nervousness.  
  
Instead of dragging the awkward moment out, Darien decided to change the  
subject. "We should probably take off to get our next clue."  
  
"You're right. I mean, we might not be ahead anymore."  
  
'As long as I get to spend more time with you, I wouldn't care if we came  
in last,' Darien almost said. Instead he replied, "We wouldn't want that to  
happen." He feigned shock.  
  
Serena playfully hit him on the arm. "Very funny. Now lets go." She  
took his hand in hers, a gesture that surprised both of them.  
  
She quickly looked up at him, and smiled down at her.  
  
They left the shop hand in hand, their fingers entwined.  
  
  
"I win!" Lita cried triumphantly.  
  
Everyone groaned.  
  
"You've won the last four hands," Andrew complained, watching Lita  
gleefully slide all the poker chips in front of her and add them to her  
already huge pile.  
  
"How about another hand?" Lita grinned slyly.  
  
"Count us out; you already have our money," Amy shook her head, gesturing  
to herself and Greg.  
  
"I'm game," Mina announced after counting her small collection of poker  
chips.  
  
Ken leaned back in his chair and placed his crossed arms behind his head.  
"Not me; you guys cleaned me out," he nodded to his nonexistent pile of  
chips.  
  
"I've got enough for another hand," Raye said.  
  
"Well, I already lost most of my money, might as well go for all of it,"  
Andrew sighed.  
  
The girls giggled.  
  
"Ok, here we go," Lita shuffled the cards with all professionalism. "The  
name of the game is Five Card Draw. Deuces are wild." She dealt out five  
cards each to Mina, Raye, Andrew, and herself. They all tossed a chip in the  
middle of the table.  
  
"They picked up their cards. Mina's eyebrows shot up, but she quickly  
resumed her poker face.  
  
"Ok, how many?" Lita asked her.  
  
"Two." Mina took her two new cards.  
  
"Raye?"  
  
"Two also," Raye answered, taking her new cards.  
  
"Andrew?"  
  
Andrew said nothing.  
  
"Yo, Andrew, how many cards?" Lita prompted.  
  
"Um..." he contemplated. "One, I guess."  
  
"Only one? Sure about that? Your winning record isn't too great," Lita  
teased him.  
  
Andrew glared at her. "Just give me my card!"  
  
"Ok, ok!" Lita gave him a new card. He snapped it out of her hand.  
  
"All right, dealer takes two," Lita said. She studied her new hand.  
"I'll start at five." She tossed a poker chip into the middle of the table.  
  
"I'll see your five and raise it five," Mina tossed in her chips.  
  
"Ok, I can do that." Raye added her chips to the pile. "And I'll raise  
it ten."  
  
Andrew glanced around nervously. He took a peak at his hand once more,  
then pushed some chips into the pile. "I'll see your ten." He added  
bravely, "And raise it twenty."  
  
"What?" the girls screeched together.  
  
"Hey, I need the money!" Andrew shot back defensively.  
  
Lita gulped. "Ok, I'll see your twenty and raise it another twenty."  
She pushed a stack of chips to the middle pile.  
  
"I'm out," Mina dropped her cards on the table. "Too rich for my bones."  
  
"That's blood, Mina," Raye corrected her. "I fold too."  
  
Andrew counted his chips. "Ok, I'll see your twenty and raise you  
fifty." He tossed his remaining chips into the pile.  
  
Lita's eyes bugged out. "Fifty?" she squeaked.  
  
"Yeah; take it or leave it," Andrew shrugged.  
  
She looked nervously at Raye and Mina, then threw a handful of chips into  
the pile. "I call." She took a deep breath. "What have you got?"  
  
Andrew slowly spread his cards out on the table. "Full house."  
  
Lita stared in disbelief at his cards. "Full house?" she repeated. Her  
cards fell out of her hands and landed on the table. "How can that be? My  
three of a kind was a great hand!"  
  
"You mean I beat you?" Andrew grinned. He jumped out of his chair and  
started dancing around. "I won! I won!"  
  
"Must've been a fluke," Lita grumbled.  
  
"Who cares? I won!" Andrew gloated.  
  
Amy, who had been sitting with Greg by the window, suddenly jumped up and  
shouted, "Guys, shut up!"  
  
Everyone stopped talking and looked over at her.  
  
"They're coming!" she told them, pointing out the window.  
  
They all ran for a place to hide. Mina and Lita sucked behind the  
counter. Andrew and Raye scrambled underneath a table. Ken and Greg dove  
behind some video games. Amy crouched down by the window, her head high  
enough to see where Serena and Darien were.  
  
To her surprise, they walked right past the arcade. Amy blinked. 'Did I  
see that?' she asked herself. She stood up and leaned over to get a better  
view of them. What she said made her heart skip a beat.  
  
"They're holding hands!" she exclaimed, still watching the two walking  
down the sidewalk.  
  
"You're kidding!" Mina flew over to the window. She had to see this  
herself. "I can't see!" She pushed her way past the others and stepped  
outside. They followed.  
  
"Oh, that's so cute," Lita sighed.  
  
"It's working!" Raye replied excitedly.  
  
They watched Darien and Serena until the two turned a corner. They  
shuffled back inside.  
  
"You sure know what you're doing, man," Ken told Andrew.  
  
"I knew they just needed to spend some time together," Andrew answered.  
"I mean, you should see the way he always lights up around her. It's like  
she gave him a spark of life that he had been missing."  
  
"Serena's the same way," Mina said thoughtfully, thinking back to her  
conversation with Serena the day before. "She may act all indignant and  
annoyed by him, but I think she enjoys his company. Even though they were  
arguing most of the time, it gave them an excuse to talk to each other."  
  
"Now that you mention it, Serena did always have a certain look in her  
eyes when she talked about Darien," Amy spoke up.  
  
Everyone stared at her.  
  
"What? I notice these things!" she shot out defensively.  
  
"Yes, we know, Amy," Greg broke in quickly, patting her hand.  
  
"No arguing, guys," Ken added. "We should keep focusing on out plan."  
  
"Well, they took the bait, so now it's just a matter of reeling them in,"  
Lita smiled, crossing her fingers.  
  
  
"The lake is so beautiful this time of year," Serena murmured, dangling her fingers in the crystal pool. She playfully splashed Darien with some water.   
  
"Hey, not fair! I'm rowing!" he protested.  
  
Serena giggled. "Good! Then I won't get splashed."  
  
"Wanna bet?" Darien skillfully used the oar to hit the water at an angle, splashing Serena.  
  
"I'm soaked!" she wailed, wringing out her dripping shirt. "Ooh, this means war!" She cupped a handful of water and threw it at Darien.  
  
He tried to dodge but only succeeded in getting hit square in the face.  
  
Serena laughed. "Hey, that was fun!"  
  
"Ok, no more Mr. Nice Guy!" Darien threw the oars in the rowboat and grabbed a handful of water, flinging it at Serena.  
  
She shrieked. "Hey, what about the rowing?"  
  
"It can wait!"  
  
Darien and Serena continued splashing each other.  
  
The boat jerked as it ran into something.  
  
Both stopped their splashing.  
  
"It's a buoy." Darien observed.  
  
"Hey! There's our next clue!" Serena pointed.  
  
Tied to the buoy was a box labeled "Clue #4."  
  
Darien carefully lifted the lid off the box and peered inside. There were the usual stack of clues and some cassettes. He picked up one of each, then set the lid back down.  
  
Serena plucked the cassette out of his hand. She looked at one side, then flipped it over." It's unmarked," she announced.  
  
"Hmm, strange," Darien took the clue out of the envelope.  
  
"There's never enough time before the bell goes off. Everything should start at a more reasonable hour."  
  
"I don't get it," Serena commented. "How can you restart time?"  
  
"I don't think that's what the clue is saying," Darien said slowly. "But I also can't think of anything."  
  
She sighed. "Trees, fortune, pools of water... Does everything have to be a riddle?"  
  
Darien chuckled. "That would defeat the purpose of the game."  
  
"Why can't we get easy clues?" Serena pouted. "This isn't fun. And besides, I'm still soaked!"  
  
Darien looked up at her, smiling in triumph. "Hey, I am too," he pointed out. Maybe we should head back in," he suggested, glancing at the darkening sky.  
  
Serena followed his gaze. "It's about to rain!"  
  
Darien grabbed the oars and swiftly rowed them to the dock. He jumped onto the dock, then reached for Serena's hand to help her out of the boat.Her hand in his, she stepped up onto the dock but lost her balance. She tripped and fell into Darien, who caught her and wrapped his arms around her. She looked up at him, blushing from embarrassment. He just smiled down at her and wrapped his arms around her more tightly.  
  
They started walking.  
  
Serena leaned back into him, enjoying the warmth of his body. "Where do we go now?" she wanted to know.  
  
"Well, we need to dry off." He paused before he spoke next. "We're close to my apartment. We could go there to dry off..."  
  
A flicker of uncertainty crossed Serena's face. "Your apartment?" she asked meekly.  
  
"While we wait out the storm, I could make us some hot chocolate," he quickly   
added.  
  
"Mmm, hot chocolate." She smacked her lips. She thought for a minute. Well, we probably won't be there that long.' To Darien she said, "Ok, lets go."  
  
He silently thanked the storm for allowing him more time with her. Leaning down close to her ear, he whispered, "Whatever you wish."  
  
She shivered at his closeness. As they started off, she had to command her legs to move. 'This is going to be a long storm,' she thought.  
  
  
"It's really getting dark out there, guys," Mina reported.  
  
"I hope Serena and Darien will be all right," Lita said worriedly.  
  
"They'll be fine, don't worry," Andrew told everyone.  
  
"It looks like our plan is on hold for a little while," Amy observed, staring outside as it began to rain.  
  
"Hey, won't this work to our advantage?" Greg pointed out. "They're spending more time together this way."  
  
"You're right," Ken agreed. "And if I remember correctly, Serena was never too fond of storms."  
  
"Oh, I get it," Mina replied, catching on. "Darien will have to comfort her and be sweet to her, which is a plus."  
  
"Looks like we'll be stuck here for a while too," Raye said, watching the rain pour down in sheets.  
  
"Anyone for another game for cards?" Ken joked.  
  
  
"Here we are," Darien said as they stepped off the elevator on the twelfth floor. He fumbled in his pocket for his apartment key. Once found, he unlocked and opened the door.  
  
Serena quickly sized up his apartment. It was very impersonal. Besides an array of furniture, a big screen tv, and a huge bookshelf, there wasn't much else in the room. No pictures, no photos, no sign of anyone ever being there. She glanced questioningly at Darien, but he didn't notice.  
  
"Why don't you go sit down on the couch?" Darien offered. "I'll make the hot chocolate." He walked into the kitchen.  
  
Serena wandered over to the book shelf. It was stuffed with thick books, most of which were science and medical texts. Randomly grabbing a book, she settled on the couch. She had picked up a science encyclopedia. Flipping open the book, she started skimming an article. Her head swam with words that had more syllables than she'd ever seen in her life! She tried sounding out some of the words but gave up fast.  
  
"Here," Darien said, startling her. He held out a mug of hot chocolate.  
  
She slammed the book shut and looked up guiltily.  
  
"It's all right if you look at that," Darien told her, setting the mug down on the table in front of her. He sat down in an armchair, taking a sip of his water.  
  
Serena raised the mug to her lips and sipped the hot chocolate. "Owwww!" she cried in pain over her scalding tongue.  
  
"Here," Darien pressed his glass of water into her hands. She quickly downed the entire glass.  
  
"Thanks," she mumbled. Then she asked, "How can you understand this stuff?" She gestured to the book.  
  
"I guess I just have a mind for it," Darien replied, watching her.  
  
Serena's eyes kept fluttering closed, but she quickly forced them open and blinked furiously. Her head started drooping forward.  
  
"Hey, I'll be right back," Darien told her, jumping up and going to his bedroom.  
  
A few minutes later he returned with a blanket in his hand. As he knew would happen, Serena had fallen asleep on the couch. Her head rested on a tiny pillow, and her feet were curled up underneath her.  
  
Darien gently covered Serena with the blanket, then sat back down in the chair. 'She's so angelic,' he thought as he watched her sleep. Her lips curled into a tiny smile, almost as if she were aware of Darien's thoughts.  
  
Watching her peaceful slumber, Darien felt his own eyelids grow heavy. He closed his eyes and fell asleep.  
  
  
"I'm so bored," Mina complained an hour later.  
  
"You're not the only one," Lita yawned.  
  
"Come on; it wasn't that bad," Ken interjected.  
  
"Did you hear what you just said?" Raye asked incredulously. "The card game was a bad idea, our attempt at charades was laughable, and if I have to listen to anyone else karaoke their hearts out I'm going to scream!"  
  
"God, sorry I said anything," Ken huffed.  
  
"Well, it's not my fault if I -"  
  
"Hey, the rain stopped!" Amy exclaimed, cutting Raye off.  
  
"Looks like our plan is back in business," Andrew said.  
  
"And not a moment too soon," Greg whispered to Amy.  
  
  
Serena groggily opened her eyes. Not recognizing her surroundings, she quickly sat up. Glancing around, she realized that she was in Darien's apartment. Her eyes fell on him. She giggled at his light snoring. 'I could watch him sleep all day,' Serena thought. 'Wait, back up there just a sec! Where did these feelings come from? I'm not supposed to like Darien. I do have to admit, though, that he knows how to put on the charm. And spending the day with him was far from terrible.'  
  
"Serena," Darien mumbled. He woke up. "Hey, you're up too," he grinned tiredly at Serena, his eyes still half closed.  
  
"Sleeping on the job, are we?" she teased.  
  
"I believe I wasn't the only one," he reminded her.  
  
Serena batted her eyes at him and said in her most innocent voice, "Who, me?"  
  
Darien only laughed.  
  
Serena shuffled over to the window and looked out. "It stopped raining," she reported. "I guess it's back to work?"  
  
"You guessed it." Darien stood and ushered Serena out the door. Once out of the building, they took off down the sidewalk.  
  
"That rainstorm arrived out of nowhere," Darien commented.  
  
"Well, I'm not going to complain since I got to nap for an hour," Serena told him airily, stepping over a puddle of water. "I like the rain. It's the lightning and thundering that I'm not fond of." She quickly blushed and looked down, embarrassed about telling him her fears.  
  
She instantly felt better when Darien said, "I know how you feel. I don't like them much either."  
  
As they passed the junior high building, she stopped in front of the gate. "I don't like going to school either," she muttered. "It should start at a better time, like noon. Hey, that's it!" She frantically knelt down to look under the tall shrubs.  
  
"Serena, what's wrong? What are you looking for?" Darien asked.  
  
"This!" Serena stood and turned to Darien. In her hands was a box labeled "Clue #5."  
"Wow, I don't think I ever would have gotten that," Darien said.  
  
Serena smiled at him, then opened the box. Besides the usual envelopes were little white boxes. She picked one up and opened it. She gasped.  
  
Inside was a tiny star locket that bore an uncanny resemblance to the one she knew so well. Her hand trembled as she took it out of the box and stared at it. She finally stood and held it up for Darien to see.  
  
He stepped closer and took the locket from her shaking hand. He knew this locket; at least the original from which this one must have been duplicated.  
  
"The star locket," they both whispered.  
  
Serena's head jerked up and her eyes bore fiercely into his. "What did you say?" she screeched.  
  
"Um, nothing," Darien answered quickly, his heart stopping. He eyed her suspiciously. "What did you say?"  
  
"Oh, well, I... always mumble to myself without saying anything important. Yeah, that's it!"  
  
Darien gave her one last look, then let the subject drop. He unclasped the necklace. "Come here," he told Serena.  
  
She obeyed, turning around and lifting her hair of her neck so he could fasten it on her.  
  
Noticing his fingers still lingering on her neck, she glanced questioningly up at him. He had an unreadable expression on his face.  
  
Darien gently turned her around to face him. "The locket looks beautiful on you," he said in a hoarse whisper.  
  
'He looks really upset over something,' Serena noticed. 'Did I cause it? I hope not. Well, maybe I can make him feel better,' she decided. She tentatively took a step   
toward him.  
  
Darien raised his eyebrows at her, never taking his eyes off her for a second. 'What is she doing?'  
  
Serena hesitated only for a second, then threw her arms around Darien in a fierce hug.  
  
He stood there, not knowing if this was real or not. Deciding that he didn't care, he hugged her back. It was sheer heaven holding Serena in his arms. He felt dizzy and lightheaded, and he never wanted this moment to end. 'I love you, Serena,' he wanted to tell her, but he knew the feelings weren't mutual. 'If only I weren't such a jerk to her. She doesn't like me. She'll never love me.'  
  
That thought made him draw back from Serena.  
  
She looked at him, startled. "Darien?"  
  
"I'm fine now," he lied. "Thank you, Serena."  
  
"Are you sure you're ok?" Serena asked worriedly.  
  
"Yes, I'm sure. It's just that... I was thinking how stupid it was of me not to figure out the clue about your school when it should have been obvious."  
  
She gave him a tiny smile. "Well, the other clues, weren't exactly easy,either."  
  
"You seem to have a knack for it."  
  
"I do?" Serena looked pleased. "Yeah, I guess I do. Speaking of which, maybe we should take a peek at our next clue."  
  
Darien looked at the envelope lying on the ground. He had completely forgotten about it.  
  
Since he made no attempt for the envelope, Serena picked it up and took out the clue.  
  
"Where there's a starting line, there's a finish line. You always end up back where you came from," she read. She looked up. "Does that mean..."  
  
"The game is over," Darien finished her sentence. "Guess we should head over to the arcade." He started walking.  
  
"What about us?" Serena asked meekly.  
  
Darien stopped. He turned to face her. "What do you mean?"  
  
She fidgeted nervously with the locket. "I know we usually can't stand each other, but after today, well... I consider you my friend. Is... Is that ok?"  
  
Darien heard the words, but he didn't believe them. 'She wants to be my friend? She doesn't totally hate me?' He was speechless. He just gaped at her.  
  
Her face fell. "Ok, I see. Forget I said anything." She turned away.  
  
"No!" Darien shouted, grabbing her hand. "Serena, there's nothing I'd love more than to be friends with you."  
  
'Except to hear you say that you love me,' he thought sadly.  
  
She looked at him, her eyes full of tears. "Really?"  
  
Darien's heart broke at her torn expression. "Of course."  
  
Her face instantly lit up. She gave Darien a quick hug. "That makes me so happy," she babbled.  
  
"Yeah, me too." He smiled at her.  
  
"Now that that's taken care of, let's go claim our prize!" Serena dragged Darien to the arcade.


	3. Plain and Simple

Disclaimer: The song in this part is sung by Faith Hill and Tim McGraw.  
  
  


Plain and Simple:  
part 3  
  
  


  
"Is everything ready?" Andrew asked Lita and Raye.   
  
"Our part is taken care of," Lita answered. "Amy and Mina are working on the lights, and Greg and Ken are hooking up the stereo."  
  
"Did you write the note?" Raye asked Andrew.  
  
"Yeah. Now all we need are our two special guests," he grinned. 'This had better work.'  
  
  
"Are you sure we're supposed to go back to the arcade?" Serena asked Darien uncertainly.  
  
They stood outside the arcade door. The lights were off. Darien peered in the window. "I can't see anyone."  
  
Serena opened the door. "Well, it's unlocked."  
  
They walked in, surrounded by darkness.  
"Ouch!" Serena yelped as she ran into a table and flew forward.  
  
Darien quickly pulled her back. "Stay close to me," he told her, grasping her hand.  
They maneuvered their way to the counter. On it sat a lone envelope engulfed in a ray of   
light that streamed in through the window. Serena picked it up.  
  
"I thought this was the end?" Darien said.  
  
She ripped open the envelope. Inside was a letter.  
"To the winners," she read aloud. "Congratulations on being the first to solve all the clues! Place all of your collected items in the box. Then enjoy your party and wait for the others to arrive."  
  
"First thing's first," Darien stated. "Everything goes in the box." He took the cassette and figurine out of his pocket and place them in a small box sitting on the counter.  
  
Serena took off the ring and set it in the box. She hesitantly unclasped the star locket, then gently wrapped it in a handkerchief and put it in the box. She instantly felt like a piece of her was missing. "So, what about that party?"  
  
As if by magic, the room lit up. Strings of white lights hung from wall to wall.  
  
Serena and Darien stared at each other in wonder. What was going on?  
  
  
Mina and Amy giggled quietly.  
  
"Well, the lights worked," Amy said, "but what about the music?"  
  
"Lita and Raye are taking care of it," Mina replied.  
  
  
"The lights totally threw them off guard!" Lita said gleefully to Raye, handing her the cassette Darien had put in the box.  
  
"Only thing missing is the mood music." Raye popped the cassette into the stereo. "This better work," she added, pushing the Play button.  
  
  
"Ok, this is a bit weird," Serena whispered to Darien. "How did these lights turn on by themselves?"  
  
"Magic, of course," Darien answered innocently.  
  
She gave him a sidelong glance. "Ha ha, very funny. Hey, I wonder what we're supposed to be doing at this party."  
  
No sooner were her words spoken than a song filled the air, playing from speakers   
strategically hidden around the room.  
  
Serena just glanced around suspiciously, but Darien was intrigued.  
  
"May I have this dance?" he asked her, bowing.  
  
She accepted his offer and took his outstretched hand. He led her over to the middle of the arcade, which he assumed was their makeshift dance floor.  
  
Serena was mumbling to herself.  
  
"What was that?" Darien asked her.  
  
Her face turned red. "I'm trying... to remember... how to dance," she answered in a tiny voice.  
  
"Is that all?" Darien chuckled. "I thought you might be having second doubts."  
  
"How can I, when I never had any first doubts?"  
  
Darien pulled Serena close to him, then placed her hands round his neck.  
  
He wrapped his arms around her waist. "Good answer," he whispered. "Just follow my lead."  
  
He gently swayed to the music, Serena following.  
  
"See, it's not so hard," he told her.  
  
"You're right," she smiled. She laid her head on his chest.  
  
Darien took a step back from surprise, almost toppling over. He quickly caught his balance and stared down at Serena, who didn't notice anything. 'If only I could make her mine.'  
  
Neither noticed the volume of the music growing louder.  
  
  
Dancing in the dark,  
Middle of the night,  
Taking your heart  
And holding it tight.  
Emotional touch,  
Touching my skin,  
And asking you to do  
What you've been doing all over again.  
It's a beautiful thing,  
Don't think I can keep it all in.  
I just gotta let you know  
What it is that won't let me go.  
It's your love.  
It just does something to me.  
It sends a shock right through me.  
I can't get enough.  
And if you wonder  
About the spell I'm under,  
It's your love.  
  
  
Serena glanced up at Darien, and their eyes locked. She always lost herself in his eyes.  
  
"Um, Serena..." Darien started nervously. "I need to tell you something." He paused.  
  
"What is it?" she prompted, raising her head anxiously.  
  
"It's nothing. It's just that, I, well... I..."  
  
'Love you and I want you to love me back,' he finished in his head.  
  
Serena was still staring intensely into his eyes. 'I can always read his emotions in his eyes,' she thought. 'The only problem is that they'll never show any emotion for me.' She stopped denying the fact that she had feelings for him. The feelings scared her. They were much stronger than anything she had felt before.  
  
'Is this what it's like to be in love?' she asked herself in wonder.  
  
  
Better than I was,  
More than I am.  
And all of this happened  
By taking your hand.  
And who I am now  
Is who I wanted to be.  
Now that we're together,  
I'm stronger than ever.  
I'm happy and free.  
It's a beautiful thing,  
don't think I can keep it all in.  
If you ask me why I changed,  
All I gotta do is say your sweet name.  
It's your love.  
It just does something to me.  
It sends a shock right through me.  
I can't get enough.  
And if you wonder  
About the spell I'm under,  
It's your love.  
  
  
Whatever doubts Serena had about her feelings for Darien were gone. She loved him, no questions asked. In reality, questions were being screamed in her head.  
  
'When did your feelings toward him change? How can you love someone who is so horrible to you? Do you really expect him to feel the same way?'  
  
Serena ignored all of them, especially that last one. 'I have to tell him,' she decided. 'Tonight. He has to know how I feel.'  
  
Darien was having the same thought. 'I need to tell her. I can't go on laughing and   
smiling and pretending the feelings aren't there. I'll tell her tonight.'  
  
He pulled Serena closer to him. She snuggled into his arms.  
  
'This feels so right, so new, yet so familiar.' Darien looked down at the angel in his arms. 'It's time to tell her. I'll never get up the nerve again.'  
  
"Serena?" he whispered so softly that he wasn't sure if he had actually spoken aloud or not.  
  
She opened her eyes a crack. She didn't remember closing them. 'Did he just say my name?' She turned her gaze to his face.  
  
Their eyes locked.  
  
"Serena, I need to say this... You have to know..."  
  
'That you love me more than life itself?' Serena thought. "Yes?" she asked hopefully.  
  
'She looks so trusting, and she was happy just to be my friend,' Darien recalled. 'I can't tell her I love her. It would ruin everything.' He looked down. "I just wanted to tell   
you that you're a natural at dancing," he said quietly.  
  
"Oh," she said, disappointed. "Thanks." She felt tears forming but she blinked them away. 'He doesn't love me. I must have been crazy to think he ever would. I can't tell him.'  
  
Serena decided to ignore all of her feelings, even though they hurt. She forced a smile. "So, I wonder what our prize is going to be."  
  
Darien looked up. "What? Oh. Well, whatever it is, it better be worth all of our hard work. We spent a lot of time figuring out those clues."  
  
Serena laughed. "We? I figured out most of them by myself!"  
  
Darien's eyes narrowed. "I helped too!"  
  
"Yeah, helped us waste time!"  
  
"Who's the one who had to stop for ice cream just to satisfy her whining?" he shot back.  
  
By this time they were both shouting and glaring at each other.  
  
  
"This looks bad," Lita bit her lip.  
  
"Nowhere in the plan did it say shouting would occur," Ken added nervously.  
  
"Everything was going so great," Andrew frowned.  
  
"Guys, don't worry!" Mina broke in. "Give them a few minutes. Everything will work out. I know it will."  
  
  
"You have no right to call me whiny! You're just a stupid jerk!" Serena screamed.  
  
"I'm no jerk, but I must be stupid for ever wanting to be friends with you!" Darien regretted the words as soon as they left his mouth.  
  
"And I believed you were different, that you changed," Serena shouted, bitter tears falling from her eyes.  
  
"You never thought anything like that!" he shouted back.  
  
"I did, and I wish so much that it were true!"  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because I love you!" she screamed.  
  
Everyone gasped.  
  
Darien gaped at her, shocked. 'Did she just say...'  
  
"What did you say?"  
  
"I didn't stutter," she answered evenly, watching him.  
  
"You... You love... Me?" he asked in disbelief.  
  
"I just wanted to tell you," she said softly, tears still streaming from her eyes. "I don't expect you to say anything. I just couldn't keep it from you anymore." She smiled   
sadly, then started sobbing.  
  
Darien rushed over to her. "What's wrong?" he asked, placing his hands on her shoulders.  
  
She looked up at him, surprised that he was still there. "I know you'll never feel the same way."  
  
"Serena," Darien started.  
  
"You don't have to say anything. I understand if you don't want to be friends now."  
  
"Serena, wait a minute," Darien protested.  
  
"Don't worry about me. Hey, why would you? It's not like you-"  
  
She stopped talking when he covered her mouth with his hand.  
  
He gently brushed her tears away and told her softly, "Serena, don't cry. I hate to see you upset."  
  
"Why do you care?" she asked him curiously, sniffing.  
  
"Because." He looked at her beautiful face, how sad she was. She gave him the courage to continue. "Because... I love you too."  
  
"What?" she gasped. Then her eyes filled with tears again. "That's a cruel joke, Darien." She looked down.  
  
"No, Serena!" he raised her chin so she would look at him. "I meant every word."  
  
"You did? But how...? Why did...?" she stuttered.  
  
"Love needs no explanation," he told her, taking her into his arms.  
  
"I still don't believe this... I mean, how did this -"  
  
Serena was cut off when Darien kissed her. She instantly melted at his touch. She wrapped her arms around his neck, running her fingers through his soft hair. 'This is the way it should always be,' she decided.  
  
Darien hugged her closer, kissing her again. 'I can't believe she loves me! Life can't get more perfect than this.'  
  
They swayed together, the music still playing in the background.  
  
  
It's a beautiful thing,  
Don't think I can keep it all in.  
I just gotta let you know  
What it is that won't let me go.  
It's your love.  
It just does something to me.  
It sends a shock right through me.  
I can't get enough.  
And if you wonder  
About the spell I'm under,  
It's your love.  
  
  
They never took their eyes off of each other.  
  
"How did this happen?" Darien whispered happily.  
  
"Pure luck?" Serena suggested. "But it feels like it was meant to happen. Like destiny."  
  
"You think we were destined to fall in love?" Darien thought a moment, then added, "Well, I did know there was something special about you from the moment I first saw you. We must be meant to be." He hugged her. "I love you, you know."  
  
"I know." Serena thought back to a conversation she overheard between the girls and Andrew the day before. "Plain and simple," she whispered.  
  
"What was that?" Darien asked her.  
  
She smiled. "I love you, plain and simple."  
  
"Plain and simple?"  
  
"Yes." She kissed him. "Always and forever."  
  
"I like the sound of that," he said, picking her up and twirling her around.  
  
  
Everyone watched Serena and Darien laugh as they twirled in circles.  
  
"That was too perfect," Mina sighed.  
  
"All I can say is that it's about time," Raye snorted. She looked at the couple and smiled for her best friend.  
  
"That was close," Ken said. "When they started fighting, I thought it was the end."  
  
"They look so happy together," Amy observed. Greg smiled at her. She blushed, taking his outstretched hand.  
  
"I can't believe it worked!" Lita exclaimed.  
  
"I can," Andrew beamed. "They're the perfect couple. I knew the plan would be a success."  
  
  
Darien and Serena overheard Andrew's last comment.  
  
"Was their plan a success?" Darien whispered to Serena, hugging her tight.  
  
She giggled. "You better believe it."  
  
They kissed again, only one of many they would share in the future.


End file.
